Tuisi Garden
On the water.
Jakub Hałun — CC BY-SA 4.0 · EditQ — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Chinatravelsavvy — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Christian Gänshirt — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Lamassu Design Gurdjieff (talk) — CC BY-SA 3.0 · EditQ — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Chinatravelsavvy — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Jakub Hałun — CC BY-SA 4.0
An old water town on the edge of Suzhou in Wujiang District that keeps much of the look of the old towns of the ancient Wu state, with canals, stone bridges and traditional houses; it's also called the «Venice of the East», and it's calmer than Zhouzhuang. Its best-known sight is the Retreat and Reflection Garden (Tuisi Yuan), designed by the artist Yuanlong for the official Ren Lansheng and built in 1885–1887, which joined the Classical Gardens of Suzhou on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2001. The garden is laid out around a pond whose halls and pavilions almost touch the water, and visitors wander the town among small stone bridges and old mansions and take boats on its quiet canals. Tickets are about CNY 100, per visitor guides, and Suzhou buses and Metro Line 4 reach the town. Early morning is best, before the tour groups; many dishes contain pork.
On the water.
Across town.
By boat.
Wujiang District, southeast of Suzhou
Zhouzhuang is more famous and crowded; Tongli is calmer and has the UNESCO-listed Tuisi Garden; each costs about CNY 100, per visitor guides.